An Ally In One World
by Ueste
Summary: The Tsubasa gang lands in a new world, but Syaoran has gone missing! Now it's Sakura's turn to be the heroine. Can she find her feather and rescue Syaoran before it is too late for all of them?
1. Not Who They Thought

**AN: Yay! My first fic, finally! Enjoy, everyone!**

**Summary: The Tsubasa gang lands in a new world, but Syaoran has gone missing! Now it's Sakura's turn to be the heroine. Can she find her feather and rescue Syaoran before it is too late for all of them?**

**I got the idea for this fic from Yuko: "just because that person is nice to you in one world doesn't mean you will find an ally on the next." So, what if a person who had always, always, _Always_ been nice suddenly wasn't? And what would happen when Sakura finally got her chance to share her part of the groups burdens? Read on!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Tsubasa, I would be very rich. Since I am not very rich _/sob/_, it can follow that I do not own Tsubasa or any of the Tsubasa characters. _/sob again/_

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_**Chapter One: Not Who They Thought**_

Kurogane sat by himself in the apartment. After Sakura won them enough money to rent it, the others had almost immediately left. The princess and the magician had gone to buy clothes that suited this world, and the kid and the manju bun had gone out a little while afterwards to see if they could find out anything interesting. This left Kurogane alone, polishing his sword, and dreaming of his home world.

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The magician, Fai, and her Highness, Princess Sakura, explored the marketplace eagerly. This world had some amazing things; strange clothes, amazing foods, gizmos and gadgets to do almost any task. They had already bought clothes for everyone, and now were just looking at all of the amazing trinkets.

"Your highness!" Kurogane's shout rang out as he came up behind the shopping duo.

Fai turned around, surprised. Syaoran-kun was the only one who ever called Sakura-chan "your highness." Fai was also surprised because Kurogane's clothes had changed. They were now almost exact duplicates of the ones he and Sakura had bought. He glanced in the bag she was holding, and saw that the clothes were still there. Not that Kuro-myu could have taken them without being noticed.

"Hi, Kurogane-san!" greeted the princess. "Where's Syaoran-kun?"

Kurogane raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "The same place as always, your Highness."

"Eh?" asked Sakura. This was a new world; Syaoran didn't have a place where he always was. She told Kurogane so.

Now Kurogane looked even more puzzled. He attempted to exchange glances with Fai, but Fai was just waiting for Kurogane's response.

"Are you feeling okay, Princess?" asked Kurogane. Before she could answer, he said "I think you better come back to the base." He turned to leave.

"Base?"

"Sakura-chan," interrupted Fai carefully, watching the empty place on Kurogane's belt where his sword usually lay. Kurogane would never go _anywhere_ without his sword . . ."I don't think that's Kuro-woof."

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Syaoran walked through the fields, Mokona on his shoulder. It seemed that agriculture was a pretty big thing in this country. Big enough that he had gotten totally lots among the fields of some strange grain. Mokona was no help, dancing around on his head. Syaoran looked down from the strange creature too see Sakura and Fai-san a little ways in front of him, dressed in native clothes. They must have finished shopping and were on their way back to the apartment.

"Princess Sakura! Fai-san!" he called out, running to catch up with them. The princess stiffened at the sound of his call. When she turned around, Syaoran saw something on her face that had never before touched her brow.

Hate.

Syaoran skidded to a stop. "P-princess?"

Sakura talked to Fai behind her without looking away from Syaoran. "Have you perfected that spell yet?"

"Yes, your highness." said Fai, smiling sadly.

"Use it." Sakura turned on her heals and stalked away.

Syaoran made to follow her, but Fai stepped in front of him.

"Not so fast, Syaoran-san." He said, still smiling that sad smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Fai-san?" said Syaoran nervously. "W-what's going on?"

Fai took a step forward, pulling a short staff out of his coat, which immediately elongated into the staff that he'd given to Yuko-san. Syaoran took a hurried step back, causing Mokona to lose its balance and fall down.

"I see you found the loopholes in my last spell," said Fai, drawing ruins in the air with the end of his staff. "They've been fixed. There's no getting out this time. Even I couldn't bring you back, if I would want to."

"Whaa?" Syaoran tried to step back again, but the ground around him erupted, the soil tossed into the air by a whirling wind.

"Goodbye Syaoran-san," said Fai, barely visible through the dust. "I'm sorry it had to be this way." The dust completely obscured Syaoran's view. He whirled around, trying to find a way out, but the wind formed a solid wall around him.

"Syaoran!" he heard Mokona yell from outside, barely audible over the wind. But before Syaoran could answer he felt the strange sensation that accompanied leaving a world, and then he was gone.

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Mokona carefully crept out of the bushes, checking to see that the strange-Fai was gone. "Syaoran?" he asked, his ears pressed down sadly. All he saw was a circle scored into the earth by the wind. He turned and started to go back the way they had come, hoping the others would be alright.

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**AN: So what did you think? Was everyone in character? Did everything make sense? Was everything spelled right? Am i asking too many questions? Review, please!**

**-- 'Este**


	2. The World Of The Bare Grey Ground

**A/N: Thank you everyone so much who reviewd! This chapter is for you. As to all of you who didn't review (yes, i know you didn't! 81 hits and only 6 reviews? Come on everyone,how hard is it to hit the little button at the bottom of the page and write "Never touch a word procesor again?"),I hope someone puts cheese in your hair.**

Chapter two: The world of the bare grey ground

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"What do you mean I'm not Kurogane?" asked Kurogane rudely.

"Well," said Fai "you don't have a sword," Fai pointed to the missing sheath on Kurogane's belt. "and you're wearing different clothes, and you were confused when Sakura-chan talked about worlds. Ahh, and you called Sakura-chan 'your Highness'."

"What?" said Kurogane, surprised. "I've never had a sword. These are the clothes I always wear. Of course I don't know what her Highness meant by worlds, it's nonsense. No offense, your highness." When neither Fai nor Sakura said anything, Kurogane threw out: "Maybe you're not Fai-chan."

"F-Fai-chan?" stuttered Sakura, looking up at the mage.

"Okay, now I know you're not Kuro-rin." Fai crossed his arms, but was grinning. "Ah, of course! This world must have its own Kuro-tin and Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun and Fai!" The sorcerer smiled down at Sakura. "Won't Kuro-woof be surprised!"

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Kurogane had finally gotten bored with his sword and was waiting impatiently for someone to get back. He heard a faint, strange sound outside the door and opened it suspiciously, sword in hand. 

The Manju bun stood outside, looking exhausted. Or at least, Kurogane assumed that the look was exhaustion. It was always hard to tell with things that weren't human. Kurogane stepped aside to let Mokona pass.

"What happened to you? Where's the kid?" he asked.

"Mokona doesn't know," replied Mokona as he climbed up on a chair. "Syaoran and Mokona were walking, and Syaoran saw Fai and Sakura. Fai did a magic and Syaoran went poof!"

" 'Poof'?" asked the Kurogane incredulously, but inside he was fuming. He knew that damn magician couldn't be trusted. He'd obviously got rid of the kid and maybe the princess too . . .

Speak of the devil. Just then, the magician came prancing in. "Kuro-rin! I have a supri --"

Fai's words were cut off as Kurogane pinned him against the wall. "What'd you do with the kid?"

"Kuro-kun, I don't know what you're talking about," said Fai, smiling.

"Kurogane!" interrupted Mokona urgently, "it wasn't that Fai! It was the other Fai!"

"Huh?" asked Kurogane, letting go of Fai. "What are you spouting?"

"Mokona," said the wizard kindly, "did this world's Fai do something to Syaoran-kun?" Behind him Sakura stepped into the room.

Mokona nodded and repeated his story. Sakura gasped.

"Will someone tell me what the hell is going on here!" said a voice from the doorway. Kurogane looked up to see . . . himself.

The new Kurogane looked over at the magician. "You. Explain." Which Fai proceeded to do.

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"Master Syaoran? Master Syaoran, can you hear me?" 

The call seemed to come from a long way away. Syaoran wrinkled his brow. He wasn't a Master at anything . . . He became aware of someone gently shaking him, and managed to pull himself up into consciousness.

"Sakura?" he asked, sitting up. He couldn't see anything around him; just blackness.

He heard a giggle from nearby. "No, Master Syaoran, it's just me!"

Syaoran squinted as a lantern was suddenly shown in his eyes. The light receded enough to show him a bit of his surroundings. There wasn't much to see. Just a few rocks on grey soil. In front of him sat a girl about Sakura's age, holding the lantern. She had raven black hair and was dressed in a simple dress.

Syaoran frowned slightly, still drowsy. "Who are you?"

The girl stuck her tongue out at him. "Don't be so mean, Master Syaoran." She got up and turned away "come on, everyone's waiting."

Syaoran scrambled to his feet, not wanting to be left in the blackness. "Where are we going?"

"To the castle, of course," replied the girl. "you're late for your meeting. If everyone weren't so scared of you, they might be impatient!" she smiled at him over her shoulder.

_Scared?_ Thought Syaoran. _Why would anyone be --_

Syaoran's thoughts were interrupted as a boy came walking out of the darkness. He draped an arm on the girl's shoulder. "Hey, Lily. Are you done looking for me already?"

"Eh?" Lily stepped back so that she could clearly see the new arrival. "Master . . . Syaoran?" she looked back and forth between the two boys standing before her.

One was dressed in plain pants and a short sleeve, black shirt. He wore a pair of goggles around his neck, and a confused expression. He held a sheathed sword in his hand.

The other boy was dressed in what looked like new, expensive clothes. He wore black pants and a red long sleeved shirt, both of which had gold designs embroidered on them. He carried himself with an air of command.

Other than these few differences, the boys were identical.

The Syaoran in red followed Lily's gaze over to the other Syaoran. They stared at each other for a minute, and then the first one burst out laughing.

"Let me guess," he gasped out, "the magician thought you were me, and banished you back here! And they yelled at me for banishing people!" (more laughing).

Syaoran stared for a second, astonished to actually see a double of himself in another world.

Master Syaoran recovered from his hysterics quickly, and draped an arm companionable around Syaoran's shoulder. "Come on, my friend. I am eager to hear your story. I trust it is an interesting one.

The three of them walked for a while in silence. Syaoran was still remembering how Sakura had looked at him. She thought he was this other Syaoran. What had he done to her? Master Syaoran seemed nice enough, and content to wait until they got wherever they were going before asking questions. But . . .

The ground continued to be a bare grey. There was nothing living. No grass, no insects, not even lichen grew on the small rocks that dotted the land. There was no moon out, and no stars. If it wasn't for the lantern, it would have been completely black.

Before the lantern light a wall rose up. Lily led them around it to the right for a while, and they came to a giant pair of doors. They opened at Master Syaoran's touch.

The room Syaoran was led into seemed to be part of a mansion. The walls were highly ornamented, and the few pieces of furniture in this entry room were ornately carved. The room was well lit from torches placed in brackets on the walls.

"Now," said Master Syaoran, "we'll hear your tale, hmm?"

"Um," interjected Lily warily, "Master, your meeting?"

Master Syaoran sighed. "I suppose I had better show up for it. Get our guest some rooms. We'll talk when I'm done."

Syaoran watched him walk off through one of the many doors out of the room.

"Sir?" asked Lily, "Would you come with me, please?"

"Yes." Syaoran said, still watching the other door and wondering at everything that had happened so far. Most of all, other's reactions to this world's Syaoran. He finally turned and followed Lily through another door.

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Fai smiled at this world's Kurogane, who looked back astonishedly. 

"You don't believe that we're from a different world?" Fai asked teasingly.

"It's not that," replied Kurogane, "it's just . . . you're sure that there is a _Syaoran_ traveling with you?"

"Yes" said Sakura. "He's been with us the whole way."

"And you're sure he's not . . . not evil?"

Fai, Sakura, Mokona, and even Kurogane looked in shock at the native. It was finally Sakura who broke the silence. "You mean . . . your Syaoran-kun is evil?"

The native Kurogane sighed and started to tell his own story.

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**A/N: Sorry it was so short! I had trouble making Master Syaoran stay in character, and finally decided to make him totally different. Well, in some ways. i'm going to try and update at least once a month, but with school going onI can't make any promises.Anyways, tell me what you think!**


	3. Kurogane's Story

**A/N: Well, here's the next chapter, finally. Sorry it took so long! Sadly I don't have a good excuse besides plain laziness. I hope you like this next chapter!**

**Chapter Three: Kurogane's Story

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"The kid wasn't always bad. Or at least I don't think he was. Years ago he came into town. Her Highness – well, she wasn't a princess back then. But she adored him. He was everything she wanted. Sincere, kind, strong. She was his first friend here.

"Then the war came. Her Highness' magic was stronger than anyone's back then. She was the king's secret weapon, and we were charged with her safety. The kid most of all; he never left her side.

"That was when the trouble started. Syaoran started reading in the king's private library. He uncovered an ancient bloodline chart. He said that it proved the rebel leader was actually the true king.

"He'd always supported Her Highness in whatever she did. He expected the same in return. Fair enough, I guess. But Her Highness had met the leader during the failed peace negotiations. She said that it didn't matter who was the rightful king. The rebel leader was a jerk, and didn't deserve to rule."

Here Sakura nodded vehemently. Her brother could be mean sometimes, but he always ruled fairly. If he hadn't, she would have been one of the first to support his stepping down from the thrown.

"Syaoran was always caught up in the history of things." Continued Kurogane, "He hadn't met the rebel leader, and assumed Sakura was exaggerating her stories of things. He was certain that the right bloodline would make sure the king was a good one. So he convinced Her Highness to give the leader another chance. Another peace negotiation was set up. But there must have been spies among us, and the leader found out about the true reason for the meeting; to see if he would make a good king. We all accompanied Her Highness, and the rebels put on an amazing show of gallantry. Syaoran was convinced that Her Highness had been wrong, and offered the Rebels his services. The rest of us could tell it was an act. Sakura pleaded with Syaoran not to do it, but in his mind the rebels were in the right of things. He refused to withdraw his promise of help. From then on he and the princes were unwilling enemies, torn apart by the war.

"The war continued for several years. When it was over, Sakura stood victorious alone, the king she had supported dead in battle. The people of the country asked her to ascend the throne, but she refused. Instead she was made a princess; kind of a backup ruler in case anything happened to the real one. After things settled down she went searching for Syaoran, with our help. Syaoran had not been seen during the last year or so of battle, and she hoped he had realized the cruelty of the rebels and escaped. She was able to find him, but he had changed. The rebel leader had taught him magic, but it was a different kind than Her Highness' or Fai-chan's. It polluted him. When we found him, he was ruling over a small town at the edge of the country by banishing anyone who opposed him to the OtherRealm. Her Highness was devastated to see his ruthlessness, his cruelty. She used up all of her magic to defeat Syaoran and bring back those he had banished. In their place she sent Syaoran and those who were working with him."

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Lily left the newcomer in one of the guest suits. She hoped the Master would invite her to hear his story. Someone who looked exactly like Master Syaoran must have a lot of interesting things to say. But yet . . . he was nothing like Master Syaoran. She wasn't certain exactly what it was, but there was something very different about this new boy. Something intriguing, that drew her in a different way than she was drawn to Master Syaoran.

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Syaoran found himself pacing the length of the room he was in. He was missing something, something crucial. He ran over the facts again in his head. The Sakura of this world had looked upon him – upon Master Syaoran – with hate, and Fai had looked with regret and a cold anger. Yet Master Syaoran had offered him a place to stay, and his friendship. Something wasn't adding up! What had this seemingly nice kid done to upset the princess and the mage so thoroughly?

Syaoran came to a halt as his host walked in, accompanied by the girl, Lily.

Master Syaoran gestured for the other two to take a seat around the burning fireplace and pulled up a chair himself. "Now, I am anxious to hear how exactly you came to be in my humble domain." He said with a smile.

Syaoran had originally planned on leaving out that he was traveling between worlds instead of just countries. However, as he looked upon Master Syaoran's smile he found himself instinctively trusting his duplicate. Before he knew it he had told the entire story.

Master Syaoran nodded understandingly. "I'm sure you have many questions. I will be delighted to answer all of them in time. However, the night is late, and I am sure you must be very tired from you're trip." Syaoran realized that he was pretty exhausted and nodded tiredly. "I'll come again in the morning, then" said his host, and the two visitors left.

As Syaoran lay trying to fall asleep, doubts about his host came creeping back. Added to the ones of before was a new one: Syaoran had been exhausted, but had recovered immediately after his host left. It was only then that he realized how quickly he had gotten tired. That had never happened before.

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Lily lay trying to sleep in her own room. Something was bothering her. She had seen Master Syaoran work his magic on people many times before. He probably even used it regularly on her. She'd never been bothered about it. But seeing this other Syaoran fall so easily into her Master's spell-trap had unsettled her for some reason. She did her best to push aside her thoughts. Such treasonous ideas were the last things she needed right now, with Master Syaoran so close to getting them all home at last.

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**A/N: What did you think? You know what to do next! Review, please!**

**I've decided to start answering reviews in the actual story, so everybody can see my answers. Here are my replies for chapter two reviews. If I forgot you, please feel free to yell at me for it!**

**LiLover131 and Ama Lamia: That's part of what's to come, is it not? If you want to find out, you'll have to keep reading!**

**Insanity Team: Don't worry, you didn't spoil anything. There is no tube who is blind in his left eye in this story!**

**SeaLover456 and Hikari Naito: Thank you so much! I will eventually make up code names, when the two groups of people entirely meat. For now I'm just going to stick with "Native so and so" and "Master Syaoran".**

**Renumerate: Thank you for the review! It's so nice to have one that actually critics my writing, not just the plot. Not that I'll ever turn away any kind of review!**

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, and everyon who read my story (but especially to those who reviewed!)**

** Ueste**


	4. The Other Side

**A/N: Sorry this took so long! my parent just got divorced and things have been kinda hectic. Hope this chapter's ok. **

**Chapter Four: The Other Side

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Syaoran sat near the end of a long table. Arranged down either side were dozens of people. Just to his left, at the head of the table,  
sat Master Syaoran. And to his left sat Lily. Syaoran had been introduced to all the others earlier; a pirade of faces and names of  
which he couldn't remember a single one.

"So, my friends, we are faced with a decision," Master Syaoran was saying. "We can stay here, in the safety of the banished realms.  
Or, thanks to our guest," he nodded at Syaoran " we can leave, and stop Sakura-san's plots once and for all."

_He sounds so sad_ thought Syaoran. At first, Syaoran had refused to believe that Sakura, even one he didn't know, could be doing anything bad. But Master Syaoran had explained how she had betrayed him. How he and his people had been sent here after an attempt to stop her, and how they found that even though they couldn't get back, neither could they be attacked by Sakura's forces. Syaoran had been convinced inspite of himself.

An elderly man near the other end of the table snorted. "And just how is _he_ supposed to get us out of here?"

Master Syaoran smiled wanly. "There was a loophole in the spell sending us here. When Syaoran-san was sent here, Fai closed the loophole in the spell. By studying the two spells, I have found the blocked hole, and therefore a way for us to get out."

Lily spoke up for the first time during the discussion. "What about Syaoran-san? How will we get him out, if the hole is blocked for him?"

Master Syaoran frowned, and looked at Syaoran apologetically. "I am afraid that I have not found a way to do that yet. But be sure, we will not leave you behind, Syaoran-san." Syaoran found himself nodding, confident that his host could find a way to get him out as well.

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Sakura fidgeted nervously, wondering how Fai-san and Kurogane-san managed to stay so calm behind her. The three of them and Mokona were waiting to meat the Sakura native to this world. Native Kurogane-san had taken them to a group of buildings in the woods a few hours from the city, and they stood in an office while Native Sakura finished with something-or-another.

Finally the door into the room opened, and Sakura looked up to find herself looking into a mirror. Reflected in it was herself and Fai-san, a little bit behind her. The reflections stared back aghast at the occupants of the room.

"Kurogane?" said Sakura's reflection, "What going on?" The two reflections stepped into the room, revealing themselves to be, not part of a mirror, but living people.

"Fai-san, Kurogane-san, and Sakura-san are traveling between dimensions." Native Kurogane briefly explained. "You and Fai-chan ran into the Syaoran-san who is traveling with them and mistook him for the Syaoran-san that we know, and banished him. We have to find a way to bring him back."

"Um," the Native Fai raised his hand, "I'm confused. Who is who, exactly?"

Nobody was able to answer the question in the silence that followed, but since Mr. and Mrs. Nobody were both on vacation, the question remained unanswered.

Finally, Fai broke the silence caused by his counterpart, "I know, we should make nicknames for everybody! That way we can tell each other apart."

The members of the two groups once again found themselves in an awkward silence as the two Fais, aided by Mokona, whispered together on the side of the room.

"We've got it!" said one of the Fais (their friends had by this point lost track of which was which). "I'll be Fai-chan, and this Fai will be Fai-kun, Native Kurogane will be Kuro-rin, the other Kurogane will be Kuro-woof," (here Kuro-woof glowered menacingly) "Native Sakura will be Princess Sakura, the other Sakura will be Sakura-chan, and for reference purposes Native Syaoran will be Syaoran-san and the other Syaoran will be Syaoran-kun." Fai-chan went to stand with Princess Sakura, while Fai-kun went over to Sakura-chan.

"What will Mokona be?" asked the one so named.

"Moko-chan, of course!" said Sakura-chan, while Mokona danced happily on her head.

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**Well, sorry not much happened in this chapter. I will try to make the next one better. Here's a quick reference of characters:**

**Tsubasa Travelers**

**Syaoran-kun (Syaoran)**

**Fai-kun**

**Kuro-woof**

**Sakura-chan**

**Mokona (moko-chan)**

**Native Characters**

**Syaoran-san (Master Syaoran)**

**Princess Sakura**

**Fai-chan**

**Kuro-rin**

**Lilly**

**And of course, review responses:**

**SeaLover456, LiLover131, laruto and Keioko-chan: Thank you so much! I'm really glad you all like it.**

**Violet: Congratulations! You managed to perform the oh-so-easy task of making me very confused . . . nah, just joking! Thanks for your review!**

**Ugh: Well, I'm very sorry your confused, but I'm afraid there's not much I can do about it right now. Hopefully things will get better as the story progresses.**

** Thank you everyone so much for your reviews! Please keep it up!**

** Ueste **


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